


Ripley's Believe It or Not

by Lurkz



Series: Heartlines [11]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Fluff, veterinarian!Alex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-08 09:28:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19867327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lurkz/pseuds/Lurkz
Summary: Detective Maggie Sawyer crashes into Doctor Alex Danvers' life with dimples and a puppy in need of saving. And whether Alex believes it or not, with hope for love.





	Ripley's Believe It or Not

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Smarterinabsentia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smarterinabsentia/gifts).



> I hope you enjoy it, smarterinabsentia! Happy Sanvers Summer!

Maggie burst through the doors of the veterinary hospital, trying to hold the bundle in her arms firmly without squeezing too hard. The blonde behind the desk’s head shot up, giving her a curious look. “I need the vet,” Maggie panted, raising the bundle slightly as if in explanation.

The young woman nodded, immediately picking up the phone and calling for people whose names Maggie didn’t catch. She was too focused on the small form in her arms, trying to ascertain if it was still breathing. Only moments later a door that led further into the building swung open and a woman with short hair hurried out.

Gently, she took the bundle from Maggie. “Do you know what happened?”

“Hit by a car.”

The woman nodded and vanished back into the interior, leaving Maggie standing empty-handed in the lobby and feeling vaguely out of place. A clearing throat pulled her from her thoughts and she turned to find the blonde woman watching her curiously. “Uh, sorry. What do you need from me?”

“Just some basic information for now. Name?”

“Maggie Sawyer.”

“Dog’s name?”

Maggie shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. She was in the street.”

The blonde nodded. “You said she was hit by a car?” Maggie nodded and the blonde’s eyes narrowed. “Do you know what happened?”

Maggie definitely didn’t miss the unspoken “Did _you_ do the hitting?” She grimaced. “Pick-up truck. There was a—I was—” She paused and let out a frustrated breath, organizing her thoughts. “I’m a detective. I was chasing a guy that ran from a crime scene. He hit the dog.”

The blonde seemed to simultaneously relax and tense up at the statement but she was no longer giving Maggie a suspicious look. “Where was this?”

“Just up the road.” Maggie waved a hand vaguely. “At Lancaster.”

The woman nodded, rapidly typing on a computer. “Do you want to leave contact information for status updates on the dog?”

“Can I just wait here?”

She shrugged. “You can but there’s no telling how long it will be. Vas was taking her straight to the OR for Al—Doctor Danvers but depending on the extent of the damage…”

Maggie nodded and looked at her watch. She needed to get back to the precinct to wrap up this case. She sighed. “Yeah. Can someone call my cell?”

The woman nodded, smiling slightly. “I’ll do it myself. Promise.”

Maggie returned the smile with a tight one of her own and rattled off her cell phone number. She paused. “Uh, do I need to leave a card now for payment or…?”

The woman looked a little confused but shook her head. “No. Doctor Danvers handles these sorts of situations free of charge. We’re a non-profit after all.”

Maggie blinked and looked around, only just then registering that this wasn’t really a typical veterinarian’s waiting room—though she had to admit it’d been years since she was in one. For one thing, it was tiny despite the size of the building it was attached to. Where she expected to see pet food and treats and the like, there were instead displays of different types of therapeutic devices and artificial limbs. And not just cats and dogs either but horses and sheep and a whole host of other animals Maggie wasn’t expecting. “Uh.”

The woman grinned a little. “This is a rehabilitation center primarily. But also an emergency veterinary hospital. Normally, the hospital part is devoted to fitting animals with their new limbs and that sort of thing. Or to emergencies dealing with our current patients. But it’s fully equipped and I promise, Doctor Danvers is the best.”

Maggie nodded. She’d just plugged “vet” into her phone and this was the closest one that had popped up. She hadn’t even paid attention to the actual name of the place, just noticed that one of the services listed was “animal hospital.” She noticed now the name on the smallish plaque affixed to the counter: Danvers Emergency Operations and Rehabilitation Center. She nodded at the name. “I take it Doctor Danvers is the owner?”

The woman smiled warmly. “She is. She’s the best at what she does, I promise.”

Maggie nodded. She sincerely hoped so. But, well, hopefully, having your name on a place like this meant something. “Good. That’s good. Thanks for your help, uh…” She trailed off, suddenly realizing she had no idea what this woman’s name was and there was no nametag to be found.

“Oh! I’m Kara. Sorry, I’m just helping out while Terri is at lunch since Andy called out sick. And well, Winn is busy right now. And obviously Vas and Bex are helping out Alex.”

“Right.” Maggie nodded slowly. She had no idea who those people were but couldn’t stop the small smile from tugging at her lips at Kara’s friendly over-sharing. “Well, thanks, Kara. And you’ll call about the dog?”

Kara nodded seriously. “Promise.”

“Great. Thanks again.” Maggie nodded and slowly left. She desperately wished she could stay and wait but she had to get back to work. Hopefully this Kara would call soon. And with good news.

* * *

Alex glanced up from her paperwork at the knock on the door. “Yes?”

Kara poked her head in. “Hey.”

Alex smiled slightly. “Hey, yourself. I thought you’d left after Terri got back.”

“Oh, well, I was going to but um… I kind of promised I’d call about the dog.”

Alex frowned a little. “Call who about what dog?”

“The one that was brought in earlier. The woman that brought it in wanted to know.” Kara paused, suddenly looking stricken. “The dog survived, right?”

Alex’s smile broadened and she nodded. “She did. It’s going to be rough for a bit but she should be okay.” She paused, then asked cautiously, “Why did the woman want to know? Is it her dog?” If so, Alex would feel an obligation to tell her the status of the animal but she was concerned about an owner that may have been so careless as to let their pet get into such a situation.

Kara seemed to sense her hesitation. “No, not hers. She found the dog after a car chase.” At Alex’s arched eyebrow, Kara elaborated, “She’s a detective. Maggie Sawyer. NCPD.”

Alex’s eyebrows rose in surprise. That had honestly not even been on the list of answers she’d expected. “I see. And she’s concerned about the puppy?”

Kara nodded. “She wanted to wait but I guess she couldn’t. Even offered to pay.”

Alex nodded slightly. “Well, I suppose you can tell her the pup should pull through. I want to keep her here for several days to be sure. We had to do some pretty extensive surgery to save her. Do you know what she was hit by?”

“Pick-up truck, apparently. In a car chase.”

Alex made an annoyed sound. Figures the poor creature was hit in something as reckless as a car chase. Out loud she merely responded, “That makes sense. You can call her if you want. I have some paperwork to finish up but sisters’ night later?” At Kara’s nod, Alex turned back to her paperwork. After a moment, she sighed and looked back at her sister who still hadn’t left. “Something else, Kara? I need to finish this if I’m actually going to be _free_ for sisters’ night, you know.”

“She’s cute, you know.”

Alex gave Kara a blank look, her mind already half back on the numbers she’d been going over for funding. “Who?”

“The detective!”

“Kara…” Alex said warningly.

Kara gave her an innocent look. “I’m just saying. I think I’ll go call her now.”

Rolling her eyes at her sister’s antics, Alex waved a hand and turned back to her reports. If she could finish this, maybe they really _could_ have a sisters’ night at a reasonable time. She barely registered the sound of the door closing.

After a moment, she sighed and dropped her pen. Now that Kara had distracted her, she found she couldn’t concentrate on what she was doing without checking on the puppy. It had definitely been a strenuous surgery. Several times she wasn’t sure if the pup would make it. They’d had to amputate an entire limb from the shoulder as well as repair other damage. On a pup that was—by Alex’s estimation—barely twelve weeks old, it was something a large part of her had expected to fail. But the pup had made it through the surgery and Alex was cautiously hopeful that she would make it through recovery as well.

Eventually, knowing she’d be unable to concentrate until she checked for herself (even though she also knew her staff would notify her immediately if something happened), Alex pushed away from her desk. She headed to the recovery area, smiling softly at the sight of the puppy swaddled as much as possible in blankets and cradled in Vasquez’s arms.

Vas looked up at her approach and smiled. “Good timing, doc. She’s starting to wake up.”

Alex crouched next to the tech and reached out a hand to run a gentle finger along the puppy’s head. “Good. No complications so far?”

Vas shook her head. “None. I already talked to Bex about splitting the overnight shift.”

Alex nodded. “I’ll take part of it as well.”

Vas shrugged a little with a grin. “Kara demanded to help as well.”

Alex rolled her eyes with a fond smile. “Of course she did. Tell her she can help out tomorrow. I don’t need Lucy pissed at me because Kara decided to sleep in a vet hospital overnight the same day she gets back in town.”

Vas laughed. “Yeah, I already told her. And I have a string of texts from Lucy about exactly that.”

“Figures.” Gently stroking the puppy again, and smiling softly as the small form stirred in Vas’ arms, Alex rose to her feet. “I’ve got to get back to the budgets. Keep me posted.”

“Have fun.” Vas threw her a cheeky grin.

Alex nudged her friend with her toe and rolled her eyes before heading back to her office and the waiting paperwork.

* * *

Maggie stepped into the lobby and smiled a little seeing Kara Danvers behind the desk once more. During brief breaks at work she had done some research into the facility. She’d found out that the original Danvers Emergency Operations had been a pure emergency veterinary hospital founded by an Eliza and Jeremiah Danvers. Doctor Alexandra Danvers, their daughter, had transitioned it from emergency hospital to rehabilitation center. But she also had definitely not seen a Kara listed on the “our people” portion of the facility’s website. In contrast, the internet had informed her that one Kara Danvers was a reporter for CatCo and married to an attorney. So Maggie couldn’t help but be more than a little amused at finding the younger woman working the front desk yet again.

“Hey, Kara.”

Kara’s head bounced up and she grinned brightly. “Hi, Detective Sawyer!”

“You can call me Maggie.”

“Maggie.” Kara’s smile brightened if that was possible. “You’re here to check on the puppy?”

Maggie nodded. She knew the pup had made it through surgery courtesy of Kara’s call but she really wanted to see for herself. “I uh… I was in the area.” _Liar_. Her precinct was definitely not conveniently located in relation to this facility but… Kara didn’t need to know that. Quickly, she continued, “I was hoping I could see her?”

“Oh.” Kara paused. “Come with me.”

Smiling, Maggie followed Kara into a small exam room.

“Doctor Danvers will be in shortly.”

Startled, Maggie turned back to Kara. “Oh, no. There’s no reason to bother her.”

Kara simply smiled and left, closing the door behind her.

Maggie sighed and looked around. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to say to the vet. It’s not like it was her dog. She just… well, maybe she kind of hoped it could be. She’d been toying with the idea of a dog for a while. Someone happy to see her when she got home would be nice. Unlike so many of her exes after the initial shine wore off, usually far too quickly. Shaking off the thought, Maggie turned her attention to the contents of the room. It appeared to be a fairly typical exam room but on the wall hung amusing artwork. A drawing of a veterinarian with a syringe and a chorus of howling dogs. A cat caught in a screen with the caption “How did I get here?” A strange purple creature with a single eye and horn being fitted with a prosthetic wing by an anthropomorphized dog veterinarian who was saying “Well, at least you won’t eat me.”

Maggie grinned to herself at the artwork. She wondered who had picked it out. The sound of a door opening made her turn around. Her breath caught at the sight of a stunning auburn-haired woman clad in a white lab coat stepping into the room through a door that, Maggie assumed, led to the back of the facility. “Danvers” was embroidered on the left breast in blue thread.

The woman—veterinarian—looked at Maggie and arched an eyebrow, holding out a hand. Her voice was cool when she spoke. “Detective Sawyer?”

Maggie pulled herself out of her trance, taking the woman’s hand perhaps a little too abruptly, smiling warmly. “Uh, yes. Maggie. Doctor Danvers, I presume?”

Danvers nodded. “Kara tells me you’re here about the puppy that was hit by a truck the other day?”

Maggie nodded. “I was hoping I could see her.”

Danvers studied her briefly and Maggie resisted the urge to fidget under the cool gaze. “Is she yours?”

Before Maggie could think to lie, she answered, “No. A stray. I think.”

Danvers considered the reply for a moment. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.” She held up a hand to forestall Maggie’s protest. “The puppy is still connected to an IV and moving her is risky still given the extent of the injuries.” She paused then continued, “We checked for a microchip and there isn’t one. Nor have we heard of anyone in the area looking for lost puppies.”

Maggie let out a quiet breath of relief. Smiling again, she asked, “What do I have to do to adopt her? Assuming an owner doesn’t show up?”

Doctor Danvers finally gave her a small smile. “You just did it. She’s going to stay here for several more days at least but I do expect her to make a complete recovery.” She hesitated. “We had to amputate her front leg. Is that going to be a problem for you?” Her voice had hardened again and she affixed Maggie with an intent gaze.

Maggie suspected the wrong answer would result in Doctor Danvers refusing to hand the puppy over even when healthy. She shook her head. “Not at all. Will she be able to walk? I mean, will I need to get her something special to make her life more comfortable?”

Danvers seemed to relax and smiled again. “She’s young. She should adapt just fine and be able to walk and run and play. We could fit her with a prosthetic if you would like but her quality of life shouldn’t be impacted without one.”

“Good. That’s good.” Maggie fell silent awkwardly. There wasn’t much left to say. “Will, uh… will someone call me when she’s stable enough for me to see?”

Danvers nodded. “Yes. Your number is on file?”

Maggie nodded. “Yeah, Kara has it.” She caught the slight softening of Doctor Danvers’ expression at the mention of her sister. Finding herself reluctant to let the conversation end, Maggie hurried on, “Is she who picked out the art in here?” At Danvers curious look, Maggie waved at the humorous pictures. “It’s just… uh… no offense but it seems more her style than yours.”

Danvers glanced past her then laughed a little. “It does, doesn’t it?” She didn’t elaborate further, instead turning for the door. “I’ll make sure someone notifies you when she can be moved so you can meet her properly before taking her home. Thank you for stopping by, Detective.”

With that, she was gone, leaving a bemused Maggie standing in the exam room. After a moment, Maggie shook off her reverie and exited back to the lobby.

Kara nearly bounded out of her seat when Maggie entered. “How did it go?” 

Arching an eyebrow at Kara’s intense curiosity, Maggie replied, “Fine. Doctor Danvers said the pup can’t be moved right now so I couldn’t see her. But, um, I’m going to be adopting her. Do I need to update records? Leave a card on file?”

Kara gave her a megawatt smile and literally squealed. “That is so great! I was hoping you would! And nope, I already updated them so she’s listed as yours in the system. Oh! What are you going to name her?”

Maggie shrugged. “I have a couple ideas but… I’m not sure yet. I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”

“Bella! It means beautiful—”

“In Italian, yes, I know.” Maggie laughed, shaking her head. “Nah. Too girlie, I think. I promise, you’ll be the first to know.” With a wave, she left, receiving an enthusiastic wave from Kara as she exited.

* * *

Alex barely glanced up as her office door opened and Kara entered. She was intent on the CAD drawing on her screen: one of Winn’s newest designs for a prosthetic he thought might work better for one of her horse patients. Finally, she looked at Kara who had settled into her spare chair and was bouncing one leg impatiently though she’d remained quiet. Kara had long since learned that interrupting Alex when she was working was not going to go the way she wanted it to. It didn’t stop her from fidgeting impatiently though. Alex arched her eyebrow in amusement at her sister. “Shouldn’t you be at work?”

Kara waved a hand dismissively. “It’s fine. What did you think of her?”

Alex frowned in confusion. “Think of who?”

“Maggie!”

Alex sighed. “Kara…”

“What? She’s cute! And she seems nice. And I’m sure she’s smart. She likes dogs. Clearly compassionate.”

“Kara…” Alex trailed off warningly.

Kara sighed, her voice gentling. “Alex. I know she hurt you but… I don’t want you to be alone forever.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not.”

Alex sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I am.”

“But are you happy?”

“Of course,” Alex responded defensively. At Kara’s skeptical look, she insisted, “I am. I love my job. I have a great house and Gertrude and you.”

“And you always will but, Alex, I just… I just want you to find someone like I did with Lucy.”

Alex shrugged and looked away. She’d thought she had found that. And then she’d found out that her dedication to her job was a deal breaker… and a heartbreaker. She’d dated very casually since but never anyone for longer than a few weeks and even that not for the past couple years. She was… content. She had a good life. It was enough.

Kara sighed but changed the subject. “How is the puppy?”

Alex looked back at her sister. “She’s doing well. She should make a full recovery. She’s stronger than I thought. Detective Sawyer is going to keep her.”

Kara grinned. “I know. She told me. I can’t wait to find out what she names her.”

Alex chuckled. “Somehow I doubt her tastes in names will match yours.”

Kara gave her a grumpy look. “Unfortunately, you’re probably right. She already shot down my suggestion.”

“What was it? Potsticker? Pizza?” Alex teased.

Kara huffed. “It was ‘Bella’ if you _must_ know.”

Alex gave her a look that was a mix between amused and impressed. “Surprisingly decent suggestion.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “Right, on that note, I’m leaving. Lucy and I have plans.”

Alex laughed. “Have fun. Tell Lucy I said hi.”

Kara pinned her with a look. “You can tell her yourself at game night tomorrow.”

“I—” At Kara’s stern look Alex stopped and acquiesced. “Yes. I will tell her myself tomorrow. Now go have fun so I can finish this.”

“See you tomorrow!” With a quick hug, Kara left.

Alex watched her go with a fond smile, shaking her head slightly as the door closed behind her sister. Turning back to her work, she pushed thoughts of the detective—the very gorgeous detective her brain pointed out—away. Yes, Kara was probably right about the detective. She was a pretty good judge of character. But Alex… Alex didn’t have time. Or the inclination to risk her heart like that again. All of her girlfriends had made it clear—she was too hard-headed and obsessed with work. She didn’t know why but she was pretty sure hearing those sentiments from one Detective Maggie Sawyer would break her like it hadn’t before.

* * *

Maggie absently twirled her pen, staring off into space at her desk. Her mind kept drifting back to the veterinary hospital. And as much as she’d like to pretend it was just out of concern for (hopefully) her new puppy, she couldn’t really deny that the beautiful veterinarian popped up in her mind’s eye more often than not. Something about Doctor Alexandra Danvers intrigued her. A lot.

The vet was distant. Controlled. Almost cold. But Maggie had caught more than a couple glimpses of a warmer personality underneath the stand-offish exterior. The way the woman’s eyes had warmed when she smiled.

Maggie knew hardly anything about her. She didn’t even know if the woman was gay. But she felt drawn to her in a way that she hadn’t felt drawn to anyone for a long time. She wasn’t sure if she’d _ever_ felt this drawn to someone she barely knew.

She startled at the loud smack of a file hitting her desk. “Fuck, McConnell!”

Her partner just laughed at her. “You were staring straight at me as I walked over here! Not my fault you’re apparently lost in space.”

Maggie rolled her eyes but mentally she had to agree with him. She was at work for heaven’s sake. She really should be a bit more focused. Forcing her attention to the file in front of her, she flipped it open. “New case?”

“Sort of. New murder that matches a set of cold cases.”

Maggie felt a chill go down her back. That was never good. “Shit.”

“Yep. Get ready for some long nights. We’re gonna catch the bastard this time.”

Maggie looked up at her partner and nodded grimly. “Damn right.” Pushing away thoughts of the puppy and her gorgeous savior, Maggie focused on the case files. The faster they made some progress on this case, the faster she could hopefully get back over to the vet to see her new puppy.

* * *

It had been a few days since the detective had stopped by. Alex found herself somewhat disappointed it hadn’t happened again. She told herself it was just because she was hoping the puppy had found a new home that would treat her well, but there was a small part of her that was disappointed simply because she would have liked to see the beautiful woman again. Too bad it seemed the woman had changed her mind. She hadn’t called either. Kara had not-so-subtly hinted a few times that she had Sawyer’s phone number and that _Alex_ could call her to give her an “update.” Alex had steadfastly refused. If the detective was serious, then she’d have been checking on the dog. And Alex certainly didn’t want to date someone that wouldn’t be serious about this sort of thing no matter how beautiful she was or how adorable her dimples were.

Shaking her head, Alex pushed thoughts of the detective from her mind as she entered the main building of the rehab complex through the side door. Her golden retriever, Gertrude, trotted amiably at her side. Alex had spent months training the dog as a therapy dog, able to help calm down other animals. Gertrude had excelled and she frequently spent her days out in the yard with the animals currently at the facility for rehab.

But today Alex wanted to bring her inside. The puppy had gotten well enough to no longer be hooked up to machines and Alex wanted to start socializing her. Plus, Gertrude’s calm presence should help calm the still agitated puppy that was clearly unsure how to handle a world without its mother or litter. Vasquez had discovered that the mom and surviving littermates had been picked up and taken to a nearby shelter before the accident had happened. They had all already been adopted out before the discovery and it had been too late to try and reunite the pup with her mom.

Sighing to herself, Alex let herself and Gertrude into her office. Ruffling the dog’s ears, she left her to go retrieve the puppy. At least the rehab clinic had around the clock staffing so the puppy hadn’t been left alone for great lengths of time.

Bex, the technician on the morning shift, glanced up from her work and waved at Alex with a smile as she walked into the recovery area. “Morning, Doc.”

Alex flashed her a smile. “Morning. How’s the puppy?”

Bex waved a hand at the open cage door. “She’s good. Can’t seem to decide if she’s brave enough to explore yet or not.”

Alex chuckled and crouched down, holding out a hand for the puppy to sniff. “Well, it’s a big, scary world for her. I thought I’d see if being around Gertie would help.”

Bex grinned. “Oh, you brought Gertie inside?”

Alex laughed. “Yes.” She raised her voice slightly and called out, “Gertrude! Come here, girl!” The golden scampered out of her office, tail wagging madly. She pranced over to Alex for attention. Laughing, Alex patted her on the back then pointed at Bex. “Who’s that? Go get her!”

The dog looked around then bounded over to Bex’s side, tail wagging happily. Bex laughed and bent down to scratch the dog’s ears.

Alex watched for a moment with a smile before turning her attention back to the puppy who was still curiously snuffling at her hand. Gentling her voice even further, she crooned, “Hey, little girl. How’re you doing, huh? Feeling better?” Ever so gently, she scratched the puppy’s ears, smile broadening as the little tail began to wag. “What a good girl. You want to come hang out with me and Gertie?”

Carefully, she scooped up the puppy, sighing in relief when there was no sound of protest or discomfort. Rising to her feet slowly, she looked over to where Gertrude was now getting her belly rubbed. Chuckling, Alex headed for her office. “Send her to me when you’re done spoiling her, please.”

Bex scoffed. “Like she doesn’t get spoiled by Kara already.”

Alex rolled her eyes but there really wasn’t much she could say to that. In all honesty, she spoiled her dog a bit also but no one would dare point that out to her face. And Kara was far more blatant about it anyway.

Once in her office, Alex gently set the puppy down on the dog bed that was permanently set up in the corner. After a moment, Gertrude came in and immediately moved to Alex’s side, snuffling curiously. Alex rested a hand on Gertrude’s back. “Be sweet.” Gertrude immediately calmed. “Good girl.”

Slowly, Gertrude reached out and snuffled at the puppy gently. The puppy gazed back with wide eyes, cautiously sniffing back. After a few moments, the puppy’s tail began to wag and she stumbled to her feet. Alex’s hands hovered in midair, ready to intervene at the slightest sign of fear or pain. But the puppy haltingly tried to move toward Gertrude, tail gaining speed.

Gertrude laid down, front half on the dog bed so that her head was right next to the puppy. Her tail wagged slowly against the ground but she made no other movement, waiting patiently for the puppy to explore.

Alex watched with a soft smile as the puppy enthusiastically stumbled against Gertrude, snuffling happily. Content that the dogs were fine, she rose to her feet to begin work. As she settled in to begin going over the results of the newest lab results, she glanced over at the two dogs, charmed to find the puppy snuggled against Gertrude’s side and already half-asleep. If the detective didn’t want the puppy, well… maybe Alex could use a second dog.

* * *

Maggie ran a hand through her hair tiredly as she pulled open the door to the vet. It had been over a week since she’d been by. She’d been pulling sixteen hour days on this case and had most recently been up for over twenty-four hours. But they’d succeeded. The perpetrator was finally behind bars and after Maggie and her partner had managed to wrangle a confession from him, she felt fairly confident that he would be going away forever after trial. She wanted to go home and crash. But she’d found herself driving toward the rehab facility instead, no longer even sure if she wanted to see the puppy or the veterinarian more.

She found herself unsurprised to find Kara behind the desk once more. Honestly, Maggie would wonder if the younger woman ever actually _went_ to CatCo except that she regularly had bylines. Maggie may or may not have started noticing that sort of thing ever since finding this place. Shaking her head in amusement at her wandering thoughts, Maggie stepped up to the desk with a smile. “Hey.”

Kara gave her a curious smile, more subdued than the previous times Maggie had seen her. “Hi. It’s uh… been a while.”

Maggie sighed and nodded, smile dropping. Kara had left her a few messages, trying to talk to her about the puppy but Maggie hadn't even listened to them yet. Every time she had a minute to do so, she'd forgotten, caught up in the case or trying to grab a few hours of sleep. “It has. I caught a rough case and…” she trailed off awkwardly, unsure how much to say. Maybe what she’d said would already put her even more firmly in the bad books.

But instead, Kara seemed to relax and her smile brightened. “So you still want to adopt the puppy?”

Maggie nodded. “Definitely. Is she… how’s she doing?”

“I’ll take you back and you can see for yourself.” Kara sprang to her feet and hurried around the desk to escort Maggie into the back. “By the way, have you decided what to name her?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. Ripley.”

Kara glanced over her shoulder, giving Maggie an askance look. “As in _Alien_?”

Maggie laughed. “Yeah.”

Kara gave her a wry smile. “You and Alex…”

Maggie looked at her curiously. “Me and ‘Alex’ what?”

Kara laughed a little and waved a hand. “Just similar tastes.”

Maggie was pretty sure there was more to the comment but she let it drop for now. She stuttered to a halt when Kara stopped abruptly in front of a door. Opening it, Kara peered in, then pulled her head back. With a mischievous smile, Kara turned to Maggie.

“Go on in.”

Maggie narrowed her eyes at the other woman but was simply met with a sunny smile.

Waving, Kara left her at the door and headed back to the front.

Taking a deep breath, Maggie pushed open the door and stepped inside. She wasn’t really sure what she’d been expecting but the sight of Doctor Alexandra Danvers sprawled out on her back on a couch with the puppy—Ripley—curled up on her chest, both of them fast asleep, was definitely not it. She froze, entranced by the sight. A soft smile curled her lips unconsciously. Doctor Danvers had been stunning in the exam room. All cool confidence and aloofness. Doctor Danvers fast asleep, protectively holding a puppy, expression soft and looking far younger, was breathtaking.

A soft sound jolted Maggie out of her trance and she forced her gaze to move on to find the source of the noise. A beautiful golden retriever was watching her curiously from a dog bed. The slight scrabble of her claws as she shifted had been what caught Maggie’s attention.

Maggie smiled softly and dropped into a crouch. Quietly, voice barely above a whisper, she said, “Hey, you. Aren’t you beautiful?”

The dog’s tail moved faster and after a moment she scrambled to her feet, moving over to greet Maggie. Grinning, Maggie ruffled the dog’s fur gently. Trying to keep from making too much noise, she checked the tags dangling from the dog’s neck. “Gertrude, huh? What an interesting name. You’re a pretty girl, aren’t you?”

A groggy “What?” made her look up. She found Danvers frozen halfway through sitting up, one hand still cradling the puppy. Danvers was staring at her in consternation. After a moment, Danvers finished sitting up and asked, “What are you doing here?” The softness that had been present in her features was gone, replaced by the cool mask she had worn when Maggie first met her.

Maggie watched as she settled the puppy in her lap, only answering when the vet cleared her throat and pinned her with a pointed look. “Uh, Kara let me in. I came to check on the puppy.”

Danvers arched an eyebrow. “It’s been more than a week. _Now_ you’re suddenly interested again?”

Maggie straightened. She refused to defend herself while crouched awkwardly on the ground. “I never stopped,” she bit out. “I had to work.”

Danvers narrowed her eyes at her. “And you couldn’t come by for even a minute.”

Maggie sighed. “Look, Doctor Danvers, I’ll be honest. This place isn’t exactly convenient to my precinct. I caught a tough case. Serial killer that had never been caught five years ago and resurfaced.” She had no idea why she was telling the other woman any of this, but something in her _needed_ Danvers to understand. “I was working sixteen plus hour days and I’ve been up for over twenty-four at the moment. I came as soon as it was actually feasible.”

Danvers studied her for several tense moments, then finally softened. “I get it.”

Maggie blinked. “You do?”

Danvers gave her a wry smile. “I live on the property so that I can be at this facility in an instant if anything happens at any time. So, yes, I understand being dedicated to your job.” She paused and looked at Maggie for another moment before waving a hand to the other end of the couch. “Have a seat. No offense, but you look dead on your feet.”

Maggie smiled gratefully and sank onto the other end of the couch. Gertrude immediately placed her head in Maggie’s lap and, with a soft laugh, Maggie began petting her head gently. “Good girl.”

Danvers watched her with a small smile. “I see you met Gertie.”

“She’s a sweetie.”

Danvers nodded. “She’s a therapy dog. She’s been keeping the pup here—”

“Ripley.” Maggie couldn’t help but interject.

Danvers paused then chuckled a little and continued, “Keeping Ripley company.” She looked down at the puppy in her lap, scratching her ears gently. “Ripley, huh? Good name. Does Kara know?”

Maggie nodded, smiling in amusement. “She didn’t seem fond.”

Danvers nodded, making an amused sound. “No, she wouldn’t be. She tends toward the romantic comedy type movie.”

“Ah. Fitting.” Maggie paused, unsure if she should continue, then decided to plow ahead. “She said something about you and I having similar tastes.”

Danvers nodded. “ _Alien_ is one of my favorite movies.”

Maggie grinned. “A woman after my own heart. Kara’s your younger sister, right?”

Danvers’ head jerked up and she pinned Maggie with an intense look, all signs of humor gone. “How do you know that?”

Maggie held up her hands in surrender. “I’m a detective, Doctor Danvers. I detect. Also your bio on the facility website mentions your family as does hers on the CatCo one.”

Danvers seemed to digest the information then relaxed. “Sorry. Habit.” She paused, then added, “Alex.”

“What?”

“Call me Alex.”

 _Alex_. It suited her far better than the longer “Alexandra.” Maggie smiled. “Call me Maggie.”

They talked for several more minutes before Maggie finally forced herself to go home to get some sleep. Rising, she turned back toward Alex. “When can I take her home?” She looked down at the puppy that was now nestled in her arms having woken long enough to meet Maggie before falling back asleep, apparently finding her comfortable.

Alex stood as well, reaching out to take Ripley. “Another few days. She’s doing really well but I just want to be sure.”

Maggie reluctantly relinquished the dog. She hesitated then decided to go for it. “Would you, um, would you want to grab coffee sometime? Maybe tomorrow?”

Alex gave her a startled look and Maggie immediately backtracked, mentally berating herself. “To talk about Ripley! I’d, uh, I’d love to pick your brain about the best way to raise her and all so that I don’t accidentally impact her development.”

Alex was giving her a curious look but nodded. “Sure. Say ten a.m.?”

Maggie nodded. She had the next couple days off after closing this case. “Sounds great. I saw a place right down the road at the corner of Lancaster?”

“Trellis? Yes, that’ll work. I’ll see you there.” Alex gave her a smile, her expression still tinged with a little puzzlement.

Maggie nodded again and forced a smile. “Great. See you there.” She left before she could embarrass herself further, already mentally reading herself the riot act for hitting on a straight girl.

* * *

Alex was frowning to herself when Kara poked her head into the office not long after Maggie had left. Kara frowned in response and entered the office fully. “Alex? What’s wrong? Did something go wrong with Maggie? I thought she was keeping the puppy.”

Alex jerked out of her reverie. “No. Nothing went wrong. She is. We’re uh… we’re meeting tomorrow for coffee.” Kara’s eyes went wide and she started to grin. Before she could squeal, Alex cut her off, “To talk about Ripley.”

Kara deflated. “Oh. But then why the frown?”

“I…” Alex stopped to order her thoughts. Absently, she set Ripley on the ground to play gently with Gertrude. “I thought she was asking me on a date. But then she said it was just about Ripley.”

“Oh.” Kara was silent for a few seconds then asked cautiously, “Did you want it to be a date?”

“I… I’m not sure.”

“You guys were in here for a while. Talking about Ripley?”

Alex shook her head. “No. Well, yes, a little. But mostly no. Just… talking.”

“Alex, that’s great!” Kara hurriedly backtracked. “Unless, of course, you don’t want it to be great. You can obviously just be friends.”

Alex sighed. “No. It’s… I don’t know.”

Kara sat on the couch and patted the seat beside her, waiting for Alex to join her. “Well, when you thought it was a date, how did you feel? Happy?”

“Yes.” The word was nearly a whisper.

Kara wrapped her arm around Alex’s shoulders. “Alex, not everyone is your ex. You deserve to be happy. It doesn’t have to be with Maggie, though I think you should give _her_ a chance specifically. But if it makes you happy then you deserve to try.”

Alex nodded slowly. “We’ll see how tomorrow goes, okay?”

“Okay.” Kara squeezed her shoulders. “I have to get back to work or Snapper’s going to kill me.”

Alex rolled her eyes and shoved Kara lightly. “As if literally anyone else at CatCo would let that happen. Particularly Lucy.”

Kara laughed and stood. “Perhaps. But I still don’t like it when he yells so…”

“Yeah, yeah.” Alex stood as well. She gave Kara a soft smile. “You’re right, Kara. Thanks.”

Kara hugged her. “I know. And, you should _definitely_ see if that coffee can become a date. Maggie’s _really_ cute.”

Alex laughed and shoved her again. “You have a wife.”

Kara shrugged. “I’m married, not blind.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Go to work so I can do mine.”

Kara laughed and left. Alex watched her go then turned to the dogs. Wryly, she asked, “What do you guys think? Supposed to be a date?” The dogs ignored her and she laughed at herself. “Good job, Danvers. Try asking a wall next time, might be as useful.” Resolving to not dwell on the impending coffee maybe-date until the next day, Alex headed out of the office to begin prepping for a prosthetic fitting.

* * *

Maggie waited nervously in the coffee shop, one leg bouncing up and down. She’d been so exhausted that she’d crashed immediately upon getting home the day before. But after twelve hours of sleep, she was finally awake enough to be nervous. Had Danvers—Alex—realized Maggie was asking her on a date? Would she hold it against her? Or just take her at her word that it was just about Ripley? Had she realized just how big of a fool Maggie had made of herself? Maybe she hadn’t. Lord knew there’d been plenty of straight girls that Maggie had asked out who never realized it was supposed to be a date. Maggie found herself actually hoping that it was the case here. She wasn’t sure she could bear it if Alex treated her differently or didn’t want to be around her just because she tried to ask her out.

The door opened and her head snapped up. Alex walked in and Maggie couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face at the sight of the veterinarian. Standing, she waved Alex over.

Alex smiled in return, giving her a quiet “Hey” when she got within earshot.

“Hey, Alex. How’re you? Everything good at the hospital?”

Alex nodded. “It’s great. We’re in the process of fitting a goat with a new prosthetic. He was in for a fitting yesterday. So today we’ll be modifying the end that will attach to his body to make sure it fits comfortably based on the measurements from yesterday.”

Maggie grinned, impressed. “That’s really cool.”

Alex smiled, seemingly shy. “Yeah, well.”

“No, I mean it. That’s awesome. I mean, I have to admit I don’t usually think of the billy goats gruff when I think of animal rehab centers but…” She trailed off with a warm smile.

Alex laughed. “No, most people don’t. Fortunately, there are no trolls around.”

Maggie laughed as well. “That’s definitely fortunate.” She waved at the counter. “Shall we get some coffee?” Alex nodded and they made their way up to order. Maggie managed to tell the barista that she was paying for both of them before Alex could pay for her own. She ignored the speculative look Alex gave her and busied herself retrieving napkins and stirrers for their coffee. She was grateful that her darker skin tone didn’t show blushes easily as she could feel the heat creeping up her neck. For all she’d tried to convince herself not to treat this like a date, she couldn’t seem to help herself.

After a few minutes, they settled at a table with their coffee. Maggie fidgeted with her coffee cup for a moment before speaking. “So, uh, how is Ripley doing?”

Alex gave her a gentle smile. “She’s doing well. Improving every day. She gets around quite well and getting better at it all the time.”

Maggie smiled genuinely. “That’s really great. I don’t think I’ve thanked you for saving her.”

“Pfft. Happy to.”

“No, really. Thank you. I know she’s just a stray but… it really means a lot to me that you were there and willing to help her.”

“I’m glad I could save her for you.”

They locked eyes and fell silent for several moments. Eventually, Maggie looked away. Clearing her throat awkwardly, she asked, “So, uh. What do I need to know about raising her? Anything special?”

Alex was giving her that speculative look again but she didn’t call Maggie on her awkwardness. Instead, she simply replied, “Not really. She’s young. She’ll adapt pretty well. Already has for the most part. Just keep an eye on her so she doesn’t strain herself as she develops since she’s relying much more heavily on the one foreleg than she normally would.”

“Great. What else do I need to know? About all of it. I want to make sure she’s as healthy as possible.”

Alex smiled then launched into a detailed discussion about her recommendations for everything from food to training. Maggie listened intently, asking questions regularly and pulled out her notebook—normally used for notes on cases—to scribble down notes on the best way to raise Ripley.

Eventually, the conversation drifted to other topics starting with favorite movies given Ripley’s name then slowly drifting through music and books. They were deep in a discussion about whether aliens existed when Maggie’s phone chimed. Blinking, she looked down at it in surprise. They had been there nearly two hours and her partner was asking if she was planning to come back to the precinct and, if so, to bring him lunch.

Frowning in disappointment, she looked back up at Alex. “I am so sorry. I have to get back to work. I… this was fun. Thanks for taking the time.”

Alex cocked her head at Maggie curiously. “It _was_ fun.” She paused, seeming to gather herself, then asked, “Would you like to do it again some time? Maybe… maybe over dinner?”

Maggie blinked. She sat in shock for a moment. There was no way she was this lucky. “I… are you asking me out?”

Alex nodded carefully. “On what, I hope, could be… date number two?”

Maggie smiled slowly. “You know, I was actually hoping you hadn’t realized I was asking you out.” When Alex’s expression started to close off, Maggie winced. She covered her face with one hand, holding the other out placatingly. “That’s… that’s not what I meant. I meant, I thought you were straight and that I’d freaked you out. I _wanted_ it to be a date. I just… I didn’t want to lose the possibility of your friendship if you were straight and realized it was a date. I’ve… I’ve had a few too many instances where that didn’t go so well.”

Alex relaxed and nodded. “Oh. I understand that. Well, to make it clear, yes, I realized and no, I wasn’t freaked out. I was just… surprised. It’s… it’s been a while since I dated. But I’m glad you asked me.”

Maggie smiled. “I’m glad I did, too. And I’m even more glad you said yes.”

Alex smiled back. “So… date number two? Friday night?”

Maggie nodded, smile deepening. “It’s a date.” They exchanged numbers before rising to leave. Outside the door, Maggie paused. “Uh, maybe this is presumptuous but… I’d really like to kiss you.”

Alex grinned. “I’d really like that too.”

Gently, Maggie reached up to trace her fingertips lightly down Alex’s cheek. Meeting Alex’s gaze, she leaned in slowly, pressing her lips softly to her date’s. Pulling back, she grinned, breathing out a soft, “Wow.” It had been brief but Maggie was positive she’d never felt that much from a first kiss before.

Alex smiled back, reaching up to brush some hair from Maggie’s face. “Definitely.” Then her hands were on Maggie’s jaw and they were kissing again, more firmly this time. Maggie’s hands came up to cup Alex’s elbows before dropping to her hips and pulling her closer. As much as Maggie hated criminals and car chases and particularly that this car chase had led to an injured dog, she was grateful to the man because he had led her to this woman and there was nowhere else she’d rather be.


End file.
